The InnovatED Blog

Schools are spending valuable resources, time, and money on trying to figure out that one thing; the secret sauce, the silver bullet. Teachers and leaders are working so hard, but are seeing mixed results.

We learn of adjectives in the second grade. Even now as adults, the lesson is stuck in our heads and we can easily apply it to many other situations in our often complicated language. It seemed liked a concept that made sense. Or did it? Did we ever learn how big the “biggest” really was? Or did we just assume that if it was bigger than something, it must be the biggest of all? Don’t get caught in this trap as you assess your student growth!

Interim assessment is now a well-known practice in schools. We’ve come to be pretty good at measuring our data and plotting out the path for students. Data is now used more effectively, and not only in the classroom but also with on-boarding strategies that immediately place kids in a learning environment best suited for them and and even as a student engagement tool.

You know the value in the outcomes these tools were created for! But, do you know the value-added features that high-performing schools maximize? Schools across the state have incorporated interim assessments into their data portfolios. In an environment driven by proficiency, successful schools have focused on the value of growth, understanding that in some cases proficiency is a quest of many years for those students that have been left behind. And, at the same time, recognizing the value of showing students a path to propel beyond any norms that have been set for them.

Looking at best practices inside high-performing schools, the intentional use of the data garnered from interim assessments is impressive: